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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · last · content · arm · bore · club · saw · ruler

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. last — to go on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — final
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — happy
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — to drill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. last — finally
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — a group
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com